Sorry, Wrong James

William JamesHave a look at this webpage (of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations). Check out the entry for the date 03/07/2007. It announces the winner of the biennial Wilhelm Wundt-William James award, jointly administered by the EFPA and the American Psychological Foundation.

Notice something amiss? Look closely at the photo (not here, but on the EFPA page). Yes, the person on the left hand side is Wilhelm Wundt. But the person the right hand side is decidedly not William James. It is, instead, Henry James Sr., the devotee of Emanuel Swedenborg‘s rather mystical philosophy and the father to William (and to Henry James Jr., the famous novelist).

Tip o’ the hat to Eugene Taylor (of the Saybrook Institute) who pointed this out on the Cheiron listserv.

About Christopher Green

Professor of Psychology at York University (Toronto). Former editor of the Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. Creator of the "Classics in the History of Psychology" website and of the "This Week in the History of Psychology" podcast series.